


The Imitation

by howtohold



Series: After Civil War [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Tony Stark, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 04:09:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14156391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howtohold/pseuds/howtohold
Summary: Life goes on even after the events in Siberia, even after Cap leaves him. Tony thinks he can continue with his normal life without his mate beside him,Until he starts getting sicker each day and even passes out during his speech on the Accords (which was a live telecast event).He finds out he's with child and without his mate beside him, things get a lot more complicated.But he's a genius, an inventor, a mechanic so he do what he does best:He builds an imitation of Steve Rogers.[Based on Black Mirror S2 E1: Be Right Back]





	The Imitation

**Author's Note:**

> Ever since I watched the Be Right Back episode of Black Mirror, I thought of my OTPs, especially Stony. I also wanted to make a Stony version of The Entire History of You episode but...maybe next time. By the way, Hayley Atwell (Peggy!) was the actress for the Be Right Back Episode! 
> 
> So, basically, Tony has so many issues and insecurities and he's up the duff and he still can't face the real Steve so he just went and made a fake AI Steve (lol). But then, he realizes it's not quite the same.
> 
> Please enjoy the story.

After the events in Siberia, he finds himself feeling everything and yet empty at the same time. Somedays, he lies in his bed, not sleeping, just spacing out all the time. Somedays, he spends his nights tinkering, upgrading, _fixing_ whatever he could put his hands on. Somedays, he is deeply concentrated in his work on the Accords that he forgets to eat. Most days, he survives on coffee alone. But thank God for Rhodey, _dear sweet Rhodey_ , because he would force him to eat something substantial and nutritious.

For weeks, it was just him, Rhodey, and the occasional visits from Ross, along with he papers he needed to fill for the Accords. For weeks, his sleep was constantly disturbed by images, of memories of his childhood heroes hitting him with everything they got.

It often begins with a set of furious, blue eyes glaring at him and yet looking disappointed at the same time.

Then, he remembers raising his arms while a familiar shield aims down to shatter his arc reactor.

Sometimes, he dreams that he kills Bucky and Steve.  
Sometimes, he dreams that he kills Bucky and he got killed by Steve.

Often, he dreams about Steve killing him.

(He always wakes up _screaming, sweating_ , wishing his life just _ended_ instead of being stuck on an _endless cycle_ of nightmares and panic attacks.)

It was a month after Siberia when he noticed that his body doesn't quite feel the same even though all the bruises, the fractures, the lacerations, have healed. Rhodey also noticed and promptly decided it was time that Pepper and Tony talked.

(Tony desperately needs her. She has always been a source of great comfort, not that Rhodey wasn’t, but Pepper was his lover before and it was different.)

One month after Siberia, Pepper and Tony made up and settled everything.

One month after Siberia, Tony's health began to deteriorate.

(He tries to hide it but Pepper and Rhodey always knows what's up. Because, of course, they’re one of the few good constants in Tony’s life.)

(Also, because they’re _nosy as fuck_ and Tony loves them _so fucking much._ )  
______________________________________

He vomits for the fifth time this morning. Pepper stands behind him and hands him a warm glass of water, which he gracefully accepts, and she gently rubs his back.

"Tony, you need to see a doctor. Please." she begs.

He wipes his mouth and drinks the water she gave him.

"It's just these panic attacks and I've handled it before." Tony reasons out.

He senses that this probably isn't the same. He lies to her anyway just so he can ease her mind (and most likely, fool himself too).

Pepper hugs him softly. She looks like she's going to cry because, _goddamn it,_ the panic attacks were _gone_ and now it's coming back and Tony…

Tony is getting sicker each day that passes.

Tony holds on to Pepper tightly.  
________________________________________

The whole week he throws up several times. On Friday, he was scheduled to attend a televised event and deliver a speech in front of the public, giving updates on the Accords.

He vomits three times that morning and yet, he still insists on delivering his speech. Pepper and Rhodey couldn't really do anything to stop him once he sets his mind on something. Plus, Ross is very persistent and annoying like hell.

The speech ends well but then, when inquiries were raised regarding the members of the Avengers, mostly about Captain America, Tony starts feeling nauseous, dizzy, and entirely unpleasant.

He starts sweating and struggles to breathe.

_Oh God_ , he thinks, _Cap, his own damn mate, is his trigger. What a fucking joke._

He collapses on live television broadcast.  
_______________________________________

"He will be fine, Ms. Potts. He would have to take various vitamins and other medicines to ensure that he would be healthy because if he isn't, then things would take a turn for the worse, especially considering his mate isn't with him."

Tony slowly comes to his senses and faintly hears an unfamilar voice and a beeping noise. He must be in a hospital then.

"Is there anything, any pill or therapy, any other thing that can be used substitute?” He hears Pepper talk.

Pepper's lilting voice calms him. He still loves her so much. He wants to open his eyes and speak but his body doesn't respond.

"For a mate? Ms. Potts, for all these years, we haven't had a breakthrough on replacements for mates and scents."

He tries to lift his fingers, his hands, but he just feels tired.  
He wants to ask, _Why are you talking about mates?_  
But he feels himself drifting back to sleep. And he allows sleep to embrace him.

He dreams about calloused hands touching his skin, strands of blond hair tickling his face, a warm body covering his own. He dreams of a familiar and comfortable scent enveloping his own.

He dreams of Steve Rogers kissing him, and filling him up.  
_____________________________________

He clutches the paper that Pepper gave him. Pepper is sobbing and Rhodey looks like he's about to cry or punch through a cemented wall.

And Tony, he feels _numb._ He stares at the paper again and again.

Pregnancy Test Results indicate **Positive.**  
The fetus is approximately _13 weeks old._

Just like the state he was in during the aftermath of Siberia, he feels hollow.

“Everything’s gonna be alright.” He tells them, surprised by how stable his voice sounds.

But he’s not sure if it will, honestly.  
______________________________________

He starts to eat healthier and does his best to forget everything about Siberia.

He ignores the media fueling rumors and spreading gossip about possible reasons behind his collapse after his speech. He ignores the headlines that implies he started drinking again because the Avengers broke apart….and that Captain America, his mate, abandoned him.

“This is _ridiculous!_ Tones, you gotta sue these bastards.” Rhodey exclaimed, infuriated by it all. Because, hell knows, Rhodey was there when Tony struggled with sobriety and Rhodey was there when Tony reclaimed his sobriety.

“Rhodes, no. If I sue, it will make things worse.”

He doesn't comment about the incident even when he is interviewed about it.

He continues to give speeches on the Accords and dismisses questions about the rogue Avengers.

The podium hides his growing abdomen, his loose suit covers it too. It's not that he's ashamed, he tells himself, it’s just his method of protecting the life inside him.

_(Lies. The truth is he's terrified and is in a tiny hint of denial.)_  
______________________________________

He halts all public appearances when the bump is impossible to hide. He goes back to Malibu while Pepper returns to New York and Rhodey continues with therapy.  
He assures _(pesters)_ them several times, that he can take care of himself. They hesitantly let him go, only after making him promise to update them regularly.

A few days after being all by himself again, he starts getting emotional and feels like he’s losing his own mind. His body craves his mate. His delusional mind is going _bonkers_ with _fucking red, white, and blue._

He snaps of it and focuses instead on attempting to build the nursery.

He finishes the nursery within a week. Then, he's stuck on sobbing and missing Steve greatly. Again.

He decides he’s going to play all memories of Steve. He orders FRIDAY to prepare all video recordings of him and Steve, of their happy moments, of their fights, of their banters, of their flirting, and all the little moments in between.

As soon as he hears the comforting deep voice and sees the vivid image of Steve, he breaks down.  
______________________________________

With bloodshot eyes and an aching heart, he starts to build to distract himself from spiraling down to madness.

He collects, compiles, every memory he has of Steve. Text messages, chats, videos, pictures, every singe thing that reminds him of Steve.

He designs and creates an AI program that would comfort his grieving heart.

After two days of minimal sleep and food intake, he completes the AI program.

He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and softly speaks. His small voice shakes as he tests the program, as he speaks into nothingness.

"I need your help." Terrified yet eager, he calls out to nobody. (To the new program)

He waits desperately for a response.

"Tony? What's wrong?" A familiar voice answers back.

He lets out a shaky sob and smiles as his eyes fill with tears.

_The AI program worked._  
________________________________________

The program he designs compiles every detail he knows about Steve. With all the input Tony has gathered, a pattern is built and it produces an artificial intelligence mimicking the actions and the over-all feel of Steve Rogers. It calculates how Steve would react, respond to everything Tony asks or does.

_A substitute for the mate who chose to leave him._

For the first few days, Tony adjusts to having an artificial Steve Rogers converse with him.

But he adjusts and adapts quickly.

"You're not supposed to have coffee, you know." the AI program reprimands him. Tony freezes and glares at the ceiling. He holds the mug tighter.

"I'm aware of that, Steve. It's just a sip." Tony replies, drinking just a little bit of that bitter drink.

"God, Tony. I know coffee's your favorite and all but for the sake of our child, stop it.” the AI perfectly imitates the voice of Steve when he’s exasperated.

"Oh fuck off, Rogers. It was just a sip." Tony puts down the cup anyway. He throws its contents on the sink and starts washing the cup.

The AI speaks to him again.

"I promise, you'll have all the coffee you can have after our baby's born."

Listening to his voice and talking to the AI wasn't enough, but it will do. He just misses Steve more and more each day.  
_______________________________________

He glances at the wooden cabinet, the old phone that Steve sent him lies inside it.

He feels the baby kick, as if to say to encourage him to call Steve, the real Steve.

He caresses his bump and turns aways from the wooden cabinet.  
________________________________________

He starts spending most of his time talking to the program. A great part of his daily life now consists of him chatting up with the voice imitation of his mate. He argues, flirts, reminisces, and seeks comfort in that familiar voice.

He uploads the program into his phone as he gets ready for his visit to the doctor. He feels scared that he'll somehow corrupt the program by doing so, that he'll lose Steve (which was absolutely nonsense cause this was just a program and he was the one who made it afterall).

He talks to Steve that's transferred to his phone and finds himself at ease. The presence AI Steve’s voice lessens the antsy feeling he gets whenever he takes a trip to the hospital.

He begrudgingly hangs up on Steve when he arrives at the hospital, not wanting the doctor to discover the program he made.

The secretary informs him that he can see the doctor now and Tony goes inside, caressing his bump.  
_________________________________________

The monitor displays an image of a tiny fetus. Tony _forgets how to breathe_ for a second as he marvels at the image of his child.

"Your child appears to be growing healthily and steadily. We still cannot determine the sex due to certain circumstances, but would you like to hear the heartbeat of your child now?" The doctor smiles and offers.

Tony nods jerkily. He grabs his phone.

"Could you record the sound in my phone?" He asks softly. He wants Steve to hear it too.

"Oh sure, no problem." The doctor gets Tony's phone and presses the record button. The doctor starts to play the heartbeat of the baby.

**_Thud-thump. Thud-Thump. Thud-Thump._ **

The heartbeat is the only sound in the room and it fills Tony with so much emotions to the point that it overwhelms him and he starts to tear up. The doctor places his other hand on Tony's shoulder.

**_Thud-thump. Thud-Thump. Thud-Thump._**  
___________________________________________

As Tony exits the room, he immediately searches for his phone and turns on the program. He clutches it on his right ear.

"Steve, you there?" He whispers excitedly.

"I'm here. How was the check-up?" Steve replies. Tony grins and laughs a little. His excitement and his eagerness to let Steve listen to their child's heartbeat overflows.

"I heard the baby's heartbeat! Wait, here, let me send it to---FUCK!"

Tony drops his phone and a nurse accidentally steps on it. It cracks loudly and the screen goes black.

"Oh my gosh, i am so sorry. I am so very so---"

"Shit! Ah, fuck. Nevermind. It's fine." Tony interrupts the nurse, grabs the phone and rushes outside to his car.

His whole body is trembling when he gets inside his car. He quickly slams the door close and drops the broken phone on the cup holder. He's sweating and he feels suffocated. He _can't breathe_ and _oh god_ , he realizes, he's experiencing a _fucking_ _panic attack_ so he closes his eyes. He forces himself to relax and he starts to count.

_It's just a phone,_ he thinks, _A broken phone._

_Steve is not inside the phone._  
_Steve is just a program._  
_He's alright. You didn't lose him again._  
_He didn't leave you._  
_He's at home._

Tony calms down slowly. He tries to catch his breath and wipes the sweat of his brows. He rests against the wheel for a while. He assures himself that everything's just fine.

His child kicks him _hard_ and he laughs. It's as if his child is scolding him for being such a _goddamn idiot_. He rubs his belly and thinks, maybe they'll be alright.

He drives home. The silence is oddly a nice change from the usual chatter he has with Steve, the AI.  
___________________________________________

Tony frantically calls out to Steve as soon as he steps inside his mansion.

"Tony, I'm fine. You do realize you can just upload me into a new phone, right?" Steve comforts him at once.

He sighs in relief and slumps in the sofa. His heartbeat was still a bit erratic after the incident at the hospital.

"Do you want me to replay the heartbeat of our child?" the AI Steve offers gently.

Tony gives a small nod as a reply.

**_Thud-thump. Thud-Thump. Thud-Thump._ **

He feels calmer. He feels safer. He touches his bump.

**_Thud-thump. Thud-Thump. Thud-Thump._**  
____________________________________________

He starts craving touch and the AI's voice just wasn't satisfying him anymore. As he reaches his sixth month of pregnancy, the need to be touched by his mate increases ten fold.

He comes across a shady business that offers "comfort" to omegas whose mates are not by their side anymore. It says that they are on an experimental project, testing out an organic lifeform that can be transformed into any person.

FRIDAY warns him not to engage.  
STEVE, the AI program he made, urges him to try it out.

"I can be uploaded to that lifeform and I can touch you. _Please Tony_ , your body needs this. Our child needs this."

Tony signs up for the experimental project.  
________________________________________

The humongous package arrives early and Tony immediately sets it up. He meticulously uploads the STEVE AI on the organic lifeform _(which weirdly smells like marshmallows)_.

He anxiously waits for it to wake up, but he falls into a short nap due to exhaustion.

He wakes up to a very naked Captain America, kneeling in front of him. He backs away.

"Tony, hey, it's me." Steve reaches out to him, slowly extending his hand.

Tony cautiously touches Steve's extended hand. He feels cold. He doesn't have any fingerprints at all.

He feels unnatural. No scent at all.  
________________________________________

"I don't really have fingerprints or any texture on my skin. It's just a 3D mapping of Steve's skin based on the video you've compiled. My hair, however, feels real."

Tony keeps his distance from Steve. He stares at him curiously albeit a bit scared.

"Is it really you, Steve?" Tony hesitantly asks.

"Well, that is a difficult question to answer...." Steve rubs the back of his neck, ruffling the ends of his short blond hair. "But this is what you need, what we both need."

Tony suddenly feels hungry. His stomach growled a bit loudly. He feels his face turn red. Steve looks at his belly.

"You must be hungry. I could cook your favorite omelette, the one with cheese, tomato, and spinach." Steve smiles at him.

Tony perks up. He offers a slight smile back. A thought bugs his mind and he asks the new Steve,

"Can you eat? Do you even eat?"

"I don't really need to but do you want me to eat with you?” the new Steve answers.

Tony shakes his head and stands up. He goes to the kitchen and Steve follows him.  
__________________________________________

 

_(The omelette tastes exactly the same as the dish that the real Steve cooks. Tony tears up a bit. Steve offers a kind smile and washes the dishes.)_

____________________________________________

In his eight month of pregnancy, he ignores everything. He ignores the old phone inside the wooden cabinet. He ignores Rhodey's phonecalls and Pepper's text messages. He ignores Ross’ pestering him to deliver another goddamned speech.

He ignores the media, the headlines, speculating about the reason for his public disappearance. Pepper already released a statement on why he is not showing himself to the public and yet the media chose to still speculate, to fuel rumors and gossip. _Typical,_ no surprise there.

He ignores everything, except for the growing life inside him and the living _(fake, unnatural, disturbing)_ replica of his mate.

He sleeps with him, lets him touch, lets him be inside him.  
But it isn't the same.

"Steve has a scar on his inner left thigh." Tony comments as he stares at the replica's bare body. He craves to be touched but it bothers him how this Steve was exactly like his Steve but entirely different too. Plus, there was the issue of the absence of Steve’s scent.

"Well, you didn't quite include a naked photo of Steve in the compilation so this body is just a reflection of the information you collected." Steve jokingly counters and then, he closes his eyes for a second.

Tony stares at him, wondering what he’s doing.

"Steve, what are you--" Tony gasps audibly. A scar forms on the replica's inner left thigh.

"Is my body similar now to Steve's?"

Tony's hand lingers on the newly formed scar. He touches it but the scar is just an image and it does not really feel like a scar. No bump, no puckered skin.

He feels dissatisfied but continues.

"Just hold me already, Steve"  
_______________________________________

Pepper goes over for an entirely unexpected visit. Tony instructs the replica to hide inside his workshop and makes him promise not to come out.

Pepper asks how he's doing, asks about his plans for his due date. Tony shares his plans and in return, asks how Pepper is doing. He asks about his company.

They chat for a long time, just like the good old days.

When it is time for Pepper to return, Tony accompanies her to the car. Pepper looks like she desperately wants to say something so Tony prompts her to talk.

"Pepper, please. We've been friends for a decade now. Whatever it is, spill it."

Pepper gives him a searching look before opening her mouth.

"I-it's good. Tony. I know it's been really hard,” She stutters. She takes a deep breath.

"Tony, it's good that you're finally moving on. Afterall, you need someone to be with you when your child comes out and--"

"Pepper, honey, what are you rambling on about?" Tony cuts her.

Pepper moves forwards and embraces Tony tightly. Tony awkwardly leans on her a bit, still confused about the things Pepper rambled on about.

"Tony, I saw the clothes on the sofa. You have someone over and I can wait until you're ready to introduce him."

Pepper kisses his cheek and drives off. Tony stares at her car as she leaves.

He feels guilty, both on not telling the truth nor denying her assumptions.  
_________________________________________

Everything starts to fall apart when Tony slowly realizes how different this Steve is from the real one.

The nightmares comes back again. He dreams of Siberia again. It haunts him at night and when he wakes up, he sees the fake Steve lying beside him. He feels furious and hurt and betrayed.

He gets out of the bed and Steve wakes up with his sudden movements.

“Tony, honey, what’s wrong?” Steve’s voice is rusty and hoarse from sleeping.

The remnants of Tony’s nightmare is still clear on his mind. The overwhelming emotions is still fresh because of it. So, he tries to control his mouth, but he can’t, everything overflows.

“Why did you leave me?” he asks, even though he knows this Steve is not the real one. Even though this Steve couldn’t possibly give him answers he desperately needs.

“Why didn’t you tell me about _my mom,_ Steve?” he shakily asks again. He wants to cry, to shout.

“Why did you chose Bucky over me?”

“Why did you give me that goddamn old phone and that fucking letter?”

“Why didn’t you _come back_ instead?”

But Steve, the fake AI, just stared at him, processing all his questions. Tony feels something inside him breaks because this is never going to be enough. This Steve, _this imitation,_ is not really him and it’s not enough.

This Steve doesn’t have to shave facial hair, brush his perfect teeth, take a bath, or even eat any food at all. This Steve doesn’t shout back at him. This Steve doesn’t do anything that irritates Tony and that’s ridiculous, because the real Steve always, always gets on Tony’s nerves.

  
“Those questions are difficult to answer but I know Steve would always think of what is best for you and for us. Because he loves you,” the AI Steve comes up with a response.

“Because I love you.”

Tony isn’t sure if that was real, coming from an AI and all.  
_________________________________________  
Tony is standing over the cliff, pondering about a lot of things, when Steve's replica comes over and drapes a jacket over his shoulder.

 

Tony doesn't bother looking at him.

 

"Tony, come inside. The cold air is not good for your body." Steve coaxes him gently. Tony doesn't reply and stays silent for about a minute. Steve stands beside him.

 

"Steve doesn't really like this area you know." Tony informs him. Still staring at the rumbling waves of the sea, Tony continues to speak. "I brought him here before and I noticed how he's all tensed up so I asked him why and he says---"

 

"Because I slept in ice for years and the ocean and this chilling breeze reminds me of it,” the replica finishes Tony's sentence.

 

They both didn't talk for a while. Only the sounds of the crashing wave and the flying seagulls fills the air.

"Jump." He orders Steve. Steve turns his head to look at him, a confused frown upon his face.

Tony refused to meet his gaze.

"I-i don't understand. Steve doesn't like the ocean yet you ask me to--"

Before he can finish talking, Tony cuts him off.

 

"Well, you're not really Steve are you?"

Tony _finally_ looks at him. Steve remains looking confused.

"That is a difficult question to answer---"

Tony interrupts him again.

 

"You're just a shadow, a ripple of him." Tony exhales. His voice is shaking but he continues.

"You're just a program that I made. A project that I hoped would fool my body and instincts that the mate who abandoned me has returned and still loves me and---"

"He loves you. Steve loves you. I love--"

"NO! Stop, don't you fucking say that---damn it." Tony starts to sob. His voice breaks down but he still continues.

Steve attempts to go near him but Tony extends his arm and warns him not to come closer.

"You're just _program_ designed to replicate Steve,” Tony hesitates, “and ultimately, that's what you are for. That's what you do: a _performance_ of all the stuff that he did!"

 

Tony takes a deep breath and tries to stabilize his trembling voice.

 

"And you're not enough. You will _never_ be enough." Tony concludes, with finality in his tone.

 

Steve looks even more puzzled, confused, lost.

"Tony, what do you want me to do?" Steve weakly asks.

 Tony points to the waves below the cliff.

"Jump, jump in the sea." Tony instructs him again. His voice more stable now than shaky.

 

Steve straightens his back. He takes a step closer to the edge of the cliff, readying himself to jump, but Tony suddenly speaks again.

"See, see! You know, Steve would have been scared shitless,” Tony’s voice is getting louder and he continues frantically, “He would have been furious, he would fight me! We would shout at each other and---"

Steve, who was confused since a while ago, quickly closes his eyes, as if he's downloading something in his AI mind. Tony notices that this Steve was probably upgrading and emotionally adapting to the situation.

 

_Just like how an artificial intelligence program would work._  
How _fucking unreal, fake, unnatural._ **_He could never be Steve._**

 

"Tony, babe, please don't do this." Steve starts begging. His face scrunches up, tears welling in his bright blue eyes. Tony's heart clenches.

 

_There it is_ , an intelligent program emotionally adapting and reacting to a situation. It's _unfair_ and _cruel_. Despite this, Tony still feels affected, _overwhelmed._

 

"No, no, no, no, Steve don't. Don't do this---!"

"I don't want to jump. Please, darling. I don't want to die."

" _No, no, no,_ stop. **Stop**. Stop this." Tony is crying now too. His voice shaking. The air seems colder and harsher by the minute. 

 

"Steve, that's not fair---you don't get to beg, to cry out in _that voice_! You don't get to show me _his sobbing face_ \--you're not him, you're just an AI!” Tony shouts.

 "I don't want to feel the cold again, Tony, please." Steve begs him more desperately, insistently, and---

 

Tony screams again and again, at the top of his lungs. With all his _might_ , with all his _grief_ , _desperation, anger,_ and _anguish_ , he shouts until his voice is hoarse and lost.

The sound of the crashing waves drowns out his voice.  
___________________________________________

**[Four years later]**

"Dad, what if he doesn't like me?" Maria whispers anxiously.

Tony pats his child's hair and kisses her cheeks. Maria looks at him with her bright blue eyes, waiting for her father's response.

"His friends loves you. They literally wanted to kidnap you from my arms, Maria." Tony grins at her. Maria starts to smile.

"Uncle Bucky tells me that he's a good guy but also a fool."

"Your uncle Bucky is right,” Tony hesitates but continues, ”Steve and I were both fools."

Maria holds his hands and gives it a squeeze. Tony gently squeezes her small hand back.

The wooden door opens and a tall, broad-shouldered man enters. His own blue eyes matches the little girl's.

"Steve, this is Maria. Our daughter."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading.
> 
> Sooo, what happened to AI Steve? In the original Black Mirror episode, the AI is still alive but the girl hid him in the attic. And after she gives birth, they only visit the AI on the child's birthday.
> 
> For me, Steve the AI, jumped in the sea. Tony realized how it was damaging, instead of beneficial, to have a fake Steve beside him. But it took like four years for Tony to face Steve. Also, he didn't want to go public with the news that he has a child yet without reconciling with Steve.
> 
> So, for four years, the media speculated about the identity of the baby in Tony's arms. Tony ignores them and just takes care of his child while also fixing the Accords and fighting to remove the criminal status placed on the rogue Avengers.
> 
> The Avengers tries to contact him and Steve, he knows that that is his child. But Tony tells them they can't meet yet, not with the criminal status still not removed.
> 
> After four years, the Accords are fixed. The criminal status lifted.  
> Superhusbands are reunited. Yay!


End file.
